One Last Time
by Sydrianfan4ever
Summary: Hermione and Fred have been dating in secret for quite some time now. Hermione had been determined to keep it a secret in order to protect him from Lord Voldemort while she hunted horcruxes with Harry and Ron. The first chapter is for the 50 Ways to Say Goodbye Challenge. It is rated T for safety!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello everybody! This is a Fremione one shot story for the 50 ways to say Goodbye challenge. It is my first time writing a Fremione story. I did not expect the one shot to be so long, but I think I like how it turned out! I wrote it in both Hermione and Fred's point of views. I hope Fred's was ok! I have never really written him in a serious mood. I have spent weeks writing and editing this because I wanted it to be perfect. I don't have much else to say except to review please! Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely world of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. Anything that is seen from the books belongs to her. The characters also belong to her. The HP world belongs to her. I would not be writing this if she had not written the series in the first place. I hope this gets the point across! Enjoy!**

* * *

Hermione was nervous about what was coming next. There were several people heading to Harry Potter's house at Privet Drive for a mission. They hoped that nothing would go wrong here, but the whole plan was still nerve wrecking. When they arrived at his footstep, she took a deep breath to collect herself. She closed her eyes and gave herself a pep talk. She had taken Polyjuice Potion before. In fact, she perfected the potion when she helped make it. But the previous missions weren't nearly as dangerous as this mission was.

A comforting hand touched her shoulder, and she glanced behind her and saw that it was Fred Weasley. Their eyes met, and she could tell by looking in them that he was nervous too. The comfort was supposed to show her that she was not alone in this. She gave him a small smile before turning toward the door. They had been dating for a while now, though they were keeping it a secret from everybody. George was the only one who knew about the two of them because he had figured it out.

They had kept it a secret because Hermione did not want Ron to know about them yet. She knew that he liked her as more than a friend; he had acted differently around her ever since he broke up with Lavender Brown. He did not know that her heart was already somewhere else.

Hermione was also trying to protect Fred by keeping their relationship a secret. Harry, Ron and Hermione were going to be hunting horcruxes soon, and she hated the idea that Lord Voldemort might try to torture Fred in order to get information about their whereabouts. It was better to keep people from knowing about the two of them for the time being. Fred did not even know exact details of their mission though he knew that his brother and his girlfriend had wanted to go with Harry for quite awhile.

The door opened, and Hermione smiled when she saw Harry standing there. He looked surprised to see so many of them there. She had a feeling that he was not going to like this plan one bit, he hated the idea of putting other people in danger because of him. "Hello Harry," Hermione said, hugging him before walking in, getting ready to put the plan into action.

* * *

Hermione was glad when her feet touched the ground when they reached the Burrow. The plan had worked on her part, though she did not know how much damage had been done yet. She was glad when she saw that her two friends were not harmed. Hermione couldn't help but hug both of them tightly before they walked over towards Molly to look out of the window.

Molly was standing at the window, looking out and announced that George had arrived. Hermione whipped her head toward the door immediately and inhaled a sharp breath. She hoped that Fred wasn't that far behind. Her eyes widened as she saw blood on the side of George's face and that one of his ears had been blown off. Mrs. Weasley hurried over to mend it, but soon realized that there was no way to fix it.

Fred arrived later, and Hermione met his eyes once again. She felt like she could breathe normally when he was in the same room as her again. He gave her a small smile, and looked like he wanted to hug her but she shook her head and cleared her throat before speaking. The two were allowed to speak when there were others in the room after all. They just tried to keep their feelings a secret from others.

"George is…hurt. We do not know how bad he is yet. Snape blew his ear off." She wished she could have been more comforting when he looked astounded to hear the news.

"Snape?" He asked incredulously before looking around and spotting George on the couch. He rushed over to his twin and knelt down beside him, looking almost fearful about approaching him. George had been fighting to stay conscious, though Hermione hoped that Fred would be able to keep him awake. She cautiously moved closer, but when she saw the look on Fred's face, she moved right behind him without thinking about the others seeing her right now. She just knew that Fred needed her support.

"How are you feeling, Georgie?" She heard him say softly to him. Mrs. Weasley had asked George the same thing, but he hadn't responded yet. Hermione could have sank to her knees in relief when she saw George open his eyes when he heard Fred's voice. He peered over Fred's shoulder at her first before looking at Fred.

"Saintlike…." He muttered weakly, and Fred looked at him oddly and he looked at his mother with fear in his eyes. "What's wrong with him?" He demanded, obviously thinking that his brother was going crazy. George had spoken again though. "Saintlike…" They both saw George point to his ear before saying even louder, "You see….I'm Holy…Holey, Fred. Geddit?"

A grin appeared on Hermione's face as Fred looked down at his feet in exasperation. "Pathetic. Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humor before you, you go for holey?" He chuckled and shook his head to look over at Hermione as George said casually, "Ah well. You'll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, mum." Hermione smiled at the two again, before looking for her friends. Everybody had learned that Mad- Eye had died, and Harry had looked upset again. She knew that she couldn't stay by Fred's side much longer without looking suspicious. She knew her friends needed her too. She stepped closer towards Fred and knelt down next him.

"I'm sorry, I should go over to them. I'm really glad you are ok, George," She murmured, first speaking to Fred, and then glanced up at George. George winked at her to show her that he understood. She met Fred's eyes again quickly. "Can we meet tonight?" She muttered softly enough for him to hear, and he nodded slightly. "Go…be with your friends. Georgie needs me." Hermione nodded as she stood back up again, and started to walking over to the other two.

"Hey, Granger!" Fred called out to her, causing her to stop in her tracks. She hoped that he wouldn't say anything stupid to blow their cover right now. She glanced back at him, and he looked like he was trying to choose his words carefully. "Thanks," He said finally, tossing one of his grins at her. Hermione gave him a meaningful look and nodded before walking towards Ron and Harry.

"Is he all right?" Ron asked, peering over her shoulder at the twins. Hermione nodded. "He will be." Harry moved his head toward the door to let them know that he wanted to talk outside for a few minutes. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other curiously before following him.

* * *

It was well past midnight, and Hermione was tossing and turning in her bed in Ginny's room. She couldn't sleep if she wanted to though, thoughts were racing each other in her head. She remained awake, listening until the voices disappeared into the night. The adults had stayed up later than usual. Hermione was sure that they were talking about the nights events and how they turned out. But after a half an hour of listening, there was silence for several minutes. She decided to go see Fred. She didn't want to wait until he came to her any longer.

Hermione glanced over at Ginny again before carefully placing her feet on the floor and walking softly to the door. She opened it slightly and peered toward the direction of the stairs. She carefully opened the door further, and stepped out cautiously. She closed the door finally, and started walking toward the stairs.

A hand grabbed her shoulder, and she couldn't help but stiffen up in fear, thinking that a Death Eater was grabbing her. Hermione was just about to scream when she heard Fred's voice. "Shhh, it's only me, I'm sorry, I should have known this would have scared you," he whispered, and Hermione gave another sigh of relief as she turned around to face him. "Idiot!" She couldn't help but say while smacking him on the shoulder lightly.

"I'm sorry, I really wasn't trying-" Fred began protesting, but before he could finish the sentence, Hermione had went into his arms and kissed him deeply, catching him off guard. It wasn't often when she could catch Fred Weasley off guard, though she knew that he liked it when she did manage to. She pulled away after a moment, and Fred looked at her in shock. "If that is the punishment that I get for accidently scaring you, then I will be trying that more often," He whispered as he started to look pleased with himself. His expression softened when she hugged him though.

"I'm just glad you are ok…I was so scared… How is George?" she asked frantically, and Fred placed a kiss on her forehead before pulling away. He wore a protective expression when she mentioned his twin. "He's in pain… I had to help him go to sleep, but he is out for now at least. It would also take a lot for them to kill Fred Weasley," he told her in an assuring voice before quickly adding, "But we shouldn't be doing this here… let's go to our spot," he murmured, taking her hand in his. Hermione nodded quietly and followed him without saying another word.

* * *

**Fred's POV**

Their spot was a tree house that had been built by Bill and Charlie when they were younger. They had met there on several occasions when Hermione came to visit. Fred lit a lantern once they were inside the tree house and sat down on the ground. He took her hand in his again and pulled her close. He sensed that there was something wrong with Hermione. She was quieter than usual. She also looked deep in thought. He ran his fingers through her hair and down to her shoulders while he tried to wait patiently for her. Her shoulders felt tense, so he began massaging them. When her eyes were closed, he leaned down and kissed her temple, check, and then her neck. She began to relax when he did this and gave a content sigh.

"Merlin, that feels fantastic," she murmured, turning slightly before meeting his lips. They kissed for several moments before Fred pulled away. He always tried to be careful so things would not get out of hand during moments like these. He had also pulled away because he wanted to know what was on Hermione's mind.

"Hermione, talk to me," he said finally, working his hands through her hair again. He couldn't help playing with it all the time. Fred watched her intently as she sat up and faced him finally. He grew worried when she looked concerned. He watched her sigh nervously before beginning to talk. "You are not going to like this," she said finally.

"Just tell me anyway…please?" he asked, hoping that it was nothing bad.

"I made a promise not to tell anyone about this. But I have to tell you…. As you know, Harry wants to hunt horcruxes," Hermione said, and Fred grew weary at this announcement. He never liked the idea of this mission that Hermione was going on with his brother and their best friend. Fred didn't know all of the details, but he did have a general idea. She had kept the information vague until now. He opened his mouth to speak again, but she beat him to it again. "We are leaving after the wedding," She blurted out. Fred's eyes widened in shock and he let out a shaky breath.

"Merlin… Hermione! That is the day five days from now! When were you going to tell me?" He asked, hating how demanding his voice sounded.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione began in a pleading voice. "Harry still wanted to take off tonight after everybody tried to talk him out of it, but we talked him into staying. He was determined about not letting anybody else die for him. But we made him see that tonight would have been worthless if he left now," she said as Fred scowled at this.

"Damn right," he muttered. "My twin brother had his ear blown off because of him! He picked a fantastic time to try to be noble," he said angrily and took a deep breath.

"Fred, don't be mad please. We sorted it out. It is fine. Except for the fact that I have to leave you soon," she said sadly. Fred closed his eyes and rested his head on her forehead.

"How long will you be gone?" he asked quietly, feeling calm again.

"I don't know…Harry seems determined to finish...you- know-who," Hermione said quietly, looking down. "We do not really know how long that will take. If we finish you-know-who, we can end this war." Fred straightened up in response and pulled her closer to him. "I wish I could go with you," he said, sighing. He knew that was wishful thinking though.

"Me too," she answered. "But they need me. We have been in this together since we were eleven. We might as well finish it together. I've been preparing for months….I shouldn't have told you that!"

"It's okay, Fred said, assuring her. "I'm not going to tell anybody. You- know-who is not going to know about this. He paused, wondering if this was what had her so worried.

"Are you scared?" he asked seriously, looking deep into her eyes.

"Why would I be? I'm Hermione Granger!" she answered, giving him a mischievous smile. Fred normally would have loved her sense of humor, but at this moment he did not find it endearing.

"Hermione," Fred said quietly, growing serious. Hermione's expression softened when she saw the look on his face. "I am," she admitted finally. "I have been trying to hide it. But nothing is certain in war, Fred." Fred sighed when she said the last part. He felt like he knew that part better than anybody else did at this moment. His family had been through so much already, and it seemed like the war was just starting for everybody else! He did not really know what to say to comfort her then, so they sat in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Promise me you'll be careful," Fred answered finally, kissing her forehead lightly. He hated to think about the dangerous tasks his girlfriend and his brother were about to encounter.

"I can't promise that," Hermione said softly, resting her head on his shoulder. "But I promise that I will try for you." Fred nodded and held her tightly against him. He did not want to think about what was coming next. Hermione must have been thinking the same thing as he was because a few moments later she said, "Can we not say goodbye for a few minutes? I just want to be here with you before…before…" the look she gave him told him that she did not want to say the dreaded word either.

_Goodbye._ His heart lurched at the thought of that word, but he nodded. He was good at putting things off until the last minute. He knew that there was a possibility that this would be the last time they could be together like this. It was not something he wanted to think about.

Fred could not trust himself to speak just then though. His throat was tightening up. He looked up when Hermione placed her hand in his and closed the space between them. He wrapped his arms around her protectively. He realized that these might be the only moments he could protect her in this war. He closed his eyes and tried to think of happy memories. But all he could think about was how he could not lose her. They had been quiet for several moments when she spoke again.

"Fred?" He looked down at her again and let his hands trail down her arms lightly. "Mhmm?" he answered quietly, still not trusting himself to speak.

"I th…I think…I love you," she said quietly, immediately staring down at her shoes. These words caused Fred to widen his eyes in shock and to sit up straight.

"Wha-?" he asked incredulously, unable to form a simple word right then. He had not been expecting this at all!

"I love you," Hermione said again, more confident this time. Fred continued to stare at her before letting out a shocked chuckle.

"Merlin, Hermione! You've got brilliant timing, you know that? You tell me you love me right when you are about to leave. For the first time too, might I add!" Fred was talking a mile a minute, but that was only because he was stunned. He had had other girlfriends before Hermione, but he never had any serious girlfriends. Nobody had ever told him that they loved him outside of his family. It was quite a new experience for him! He was still stunned, and his mind was whirling as Hermione began talking again.

"I know it is not ideal," Hermione admitted and Fred nodded his head in agreement. _That was for sure!_ He thought to himself, but tried to focus on the words she was saying.

"I have loved you for…awhile now. I could not say goodbye without you knowing." Fred shook his head in disbelief as he looked around the tree house. "Do you hear that, world? Hermione Granger loves me!" He said, not able to help the amused chuckle that escaped from his lips. His expression softened when he paused to look at her again.

He swallowed nervously as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "And I love her," he said finally. That caused a grin to spread across her face and she moved forward to kiss him.

* * *

Hermione's POV

Sometime later on during the night, Hermione checked the time on her watch. Her eyes widened when she saw it was three a.m. _Three a.m.?_ She sat up and shook Fred's shoulder lightly. He had been slowly drifting off to sleep on her shoulder. She hated to wake him, though she knew that Ginny would worry if she saw that Hermione was missing this late at night. "Fred…we should go back. It's three in the morning." He yawned before looking at her sleepily and nodded. They quietly made their way down the tree and made their way back to the house. He led her into the kitchen quietly.

Right when she started toward the stairs again, he pulled her into an embrace and held her for several moments. Her heart broke as she wrapped her arms around him again. Hermione knew that this was harder on him than he admitted and she wished there was another way out of this. But there was not another way. "I love you," she heard him he murmured softly when his face was in her hair. Hermione's eyes started to tear up at those words and lifted his face up in her hands. She held his gaze for a moment before she kissed him quickly.

"Goodbye Fred," Hermione murmured quietly. She couldn't say that she loved him again. If she did, she knew that she would not be able to go on this mission after all. They had to say their goodbyes tonight so the others would not suspect anything during the remainder of her time there. She slowly pulled herself out of his embrace even though that was the last thing she wanted to do. He managed to let her go, and she quickly walked up the stairs, not allowing herself to look at him again. She heard his voice from behind her as she reached the last step of the first set of stairs and her heart pained to hear it.

"Goodbye, Hermione." Hermione hesitated, trying to memorize the way his voice sounded with those last words. She finally went into the darkness before she could let herself change her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I did not originally plan on adding onto this one shot when I finished it. But I decided to do so after Guest asked me to write another chapter in the "Fred is not dead" universe. I think this chapter could be a drabble. It might be longer than that though. Thanks to everybody who reviewed, followed, and favorite the first chapter. This chapter is for you guys. It is very A/U. Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, Fred would still be alive and he would be with Hermione Granger. **

* * *

Ron had just left the campsite after the three had a fight. Hermione felt lonelier than ever now that it was just her and Harry hunting horcruxes now. She missed Fred deeply and she wished that she could at least write him a letter to let him know that she was ok. Hermione also wished that her and Ron hadn't gotten into a fight right before he left. He had also fought with Harry. She knew that the horcrux had stirred more trouble than anything. Hermione knew that his attitude hadn't really been him, though she couldn't help but feel angry at him for leaving. They had promised Harry that they would be there until the end and he abandoned them.

Harry and Hermione did not speak to each other until a few restless days later. Hermione wasn't sleeping well and her heart wasn't really into cooking or anything. Her only glimpse of hope had been to turn on the radio each night and to try to catch Potterwatch on the radio.

Harry often joined her as she tried to attempt to clear the static on the radio station. After awhile, the radio crackled and she could hear voices.

Hermione gasped and her hands flew up to her mouth and she stared at the radio in awe. Her reaction caused Harry to look over at her curiously. She dropped to her knees and stared at the radio as if it was the most marvelous thing in the world.

"Hermione… you knew we were going to be on the news," Harry began after they heard their names, but she held up a hand to stop him from speaking. Her heart leapt as she recognized the person speaking on the radio. _It was Fred!_

Hermione's face broke out into a huge smile and she looked up at Harry, who had joined her next to her on the ground. "It's Fred! It's _Fred!"_ She giggled like a schoolchild and hugged him happily. She knew that Harry probably thought she was crazy right then, but she did not care. She shushed him when he opened his mouth to speak and gazed at the radio in an affectionate way. She wanted to listen to the rest of the show now. Hermione spent too many nights missing Fred and wondering how he was since the wedding. Now she knew for sure that he was all right! George's voice came on the radio, and she shook her head proudly.

The twins and Lee Jordan were being rebels even in this war and she couldn't help but be proud of them for taking a stand. She hated Professor Umbridge and liked the fact that they were doing something that she would disapprove. Did she say like? No, she _loved_ the idea!

When the talk show ended, Lee announced what the password for the next show would be, and the three of them signed off. A huge grin appeared on Hermione's face again and she buried her head into her hands happily. She was trying to contain herself even though she was bursting on the inside. She heard Fred's voice! A giggle escaped her lips. She stood up and danced around in a circle.

"Erm...Hermione?" Harry asked her tentatively. Hermione looked down at him and grabbed his arm happily. "He's alive, he's alive, he's alive, he's alive!" She chanted excitedly, spinning around the room again. Harry continued to look at her, flabbergasted. She knew that he had never seen Hermione like this before. It was rare when Hermione acted hyper.

"Ron?" He asked, sounding lost. Hermione shook her head and giggled again. She didn't know why this was having such an effect on her. She just knew that this meant that she might have a chance at seeing Fred again. Hermione sank to her knees and continued grinning at Harry happily. She breathed in slightly to try to calm herself down, but another giggle escaped. She placed her hands around her mouth to stop more from coming out.

Harry continued to stare at her in awe. "Hermione," he began to say slowly. "Can you tell me… what the bloody hell this is all about? _Who_ is alive?" Hermione stared at Harry for several long moments. Her expression grew sober finally. _Should she tell him about Fred?_ She asked herself as Harry continued to stare at her, waiting expectantly for an answer. She couldn't stand the thought of Fred being tortured by You-Know-Who if he somehow found out about them… but _George_ knew. He was Fred's twin though, so that was a bit different. Still, she thought that it would be nice if somebody else knew as well. Somebody that she could trust. Somebody like…._Harry._ Harry would understand their situation more than anybody else would. He would not go running off if she told him about it.

Hermione looked at her hands while she cooled down, though she had made a decision when she met Harry's eyes again. He looked genuinely worried for her, though she could not blame him for feeling that. She had acted uncharacteristically after all.

"Fred," she whispered finally, and her smile grew wider again. "Fred is alive!" Her heart flipped when she said his name, and she willed herself to calm down as Harry raised an eyebrow at her.

"Fred?" Harry asked her in a disbelieving tone. Hermione nodded her head exuberantly several times.

"Why did Fred… cause you to go mental?" Harry asked calmly. Hermione sighed and scooted closer to Harry.

"Oh, Harry… can I trust you with a secret?" She asked him pleadingly, and he looked at her as if she really was mental.

"Of course you can!"

"I'm… in love with him…Fred...he's my boyfriend," Hermione said quietly. She began feeling cautious as Harry's eyes grew wide. He didn't say anything at first. She watched him mouth Fred's name soundlessly, and her sides twitched from nerves. Maybe she made a mistake telling him, she thought to herself frantically.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Harry asked Hermione, and she sighed. "Oh Harry… I didn't want Ron to know then. I didn't want You-Know-Who to use Fred as bait like he did with Ginny." A look of understanding fell upon his face when she mentioned Ginny's name. Hermione knew that Harry would understand about protecting loved ones once she pointed that out to him.

"I just can't believe it… you and Fred…" Hermione nodded. She knew that they were unexpected. She had never thought she would fall in love with him.

"How long have you been together?"

"We have been together since around Christmas time in my sixth year… we've liked each other since the summer of fifth year though. I never knew he felt the same until later…" she blushed when she thought about the memories of their first kiss and when he asked her to be his girlfriend.

"Wow," Harry said finally, and Hermione nodded. "I thought you and Ron liked each other all this time." Hermione stared at her friend before shaking her head. "No… you and Ron have always been like brothers to me. I'm not quite sure how to tell him that I've fallen in love with his older brother though." She stared down at her hands and Harry wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. He placed a kiss on her forehead.

"It will all be ok… does he make you happy?" Hermione grinned up at Harry when he asked her that question. He chuckled when he saw her expression. "I take that as a yes."

"He makes me _very_ happy. We understand each other. I can't explain it. Oh, Harry… I just want to be in his arms and hear his laugh again…" Hermione's voice trailed off as she brought her knees to her chest. Harry brought her close to him again.

"You will. I promise to try to make sure that nothing will happen to you… all right?" Hermione looked into her friend's eyes for a few moments. She nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. She did not really expect Harry to be able to keep the promise while they were on this dangerous mission, but the promise comforted her enough to allow her to sleep finally.

* * *

**Fred's POV**

Fred stared out of his window in his bedroom at the Burrow. He had quietly left the table at the Christmas dinner and knew that his family was concerned about him. He was concerned about himself as well. He hadn't been sleeping well at night the past couple of nights. He missed Hermione and wished there was some way where he could send her a letter or hear from her. Fred wouldn't risk putting her life in danger by that though.

He knew that she was alive though. She had broken into the ministry with Harry and Ron a few days ago and narrowly escaped there. The news had him on edge, and he kept reading the newspaper each morning to make sure that nothing had happened to them since then. Fred was sure that his family thought that he was crazy for actually reading the newspaper cover to cover every morning, but it was the only way he could keep up with everything.

A few moments later, the bedroom door creaked open. George walked over to where Fred was standing.

"You ok, Forge?" George asked him quietly, placing his hands in his pockets and began staring out the window as well. "You never leave in the middle of dinner. Mum is starting to worry about you now." Fred shrugged. He did not really want to talk about how he felt then.

"You miss her, don't you?" George asked quietly. Fred nodded silently again. He was glad that George knew about Hermione. He wished he could tell everybody else, though he knew that he couldn't do that until it was safe. He cleared his throat and looked over at his twin brother. He realized that this was one of the rare moments where they were actually serious with each other.

"I love her, George… I'm in love with her." A look of surprise appeared on George's face, but he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Fred gave him a small smile, but it did not last long. He was worried about her. He had a feeling that something bad was going to happen and he couldn't do a thing to help her. All he could do was report news on Potterwatch. He was glad that George had talked him into joining the show though. The fact that they were doing something rebellious and against the law made him feel like his old self again.

"She'll be ok," George said in a reassuring voice. "She's Hermione Granger." The corners of Fred's mouth twitched into a smile as he thought of the time when Hermione said that.

"I hope you are right Gred… I hope you are right…"

* * *

**Hermione's POV**

The trio was now at Hogwarts. They had just defeated Lord Voldemort and were heading to the Great Hall. Ron had said a while ago that his family was there. She hoped that Fred was all right. She thought she had seen him when Ron and Hermione had gone to the Chamber of Secrets, though she didn't have time to stop and speak.

When they arrived into the Great Hall, her eyes scanned the room as Ron walked ahead, looking at the casualties. Hermione looked down at them as well, though she saw two identical redheads standing across the room. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw George mutter something to Fred and he turned around and met her eyes. Ron had turned around to see what Fred was looking at and widened his eyes when he saw it was Hermione. He jaw dropped, and he seemed too stunned to move.

Hermione gave him an apologetic look and wanted to explain herself, but her eyes travelled back to Fred before she could. She thought about the last time they saw each other. She didn't think that they would be able to see each other again, but they were.

Before she realized what was happening, Hermione had broken into a run. The Weasley family had stopped talking to watch the scene curiously. When she was closer to Fred she leapt into his arms and closed her eyes as their lips met. Hushed tones and gasps had spread across the room, though Hermione didn't care. Fred deepened the kiss and Hermione felt her heart fluttering while it continued. He finally put her down after it felt like ages, though he still held her close to him.

His expression turned serious as he looked deep down into her eyes. "Marry me," he said suddenly when he found the right words he wanted to say. Hermione squirmed in his arms slightly, though she didn't move away from him. She blinked in surprise and pulled her head back.

"What?" She asked, laughing slightly at the crazy thing he had asked her. She had thought that he was joking at first.

Her laughter stopped as Fred bent down on a knee and reached down into his pocket for something. Before he could reveal what was in his pocket, her hands had gone to her mouth, and she gasped in surprise. The room had fallen silent at this moment as well.

"I love you, Hermione Jean Granger. You challenge me and accept me the way I am. You don't make me feel stupid… I feel like a better person when I am around you." He cleared his throat nervously, and his face turned slightly red. Hermione's eyes widened as she continued to watch the scene before her quietly, though she tried to pass an encouraging message onto him with her eyes. He looked down as he opened the box, and inside was a simple diamond ring. Tears had started to come down her cheeks, though Hermione tried to wipe them away.

"I can't imagine life without you anymore… the time apart has made me realize that I wanted to be with you forever if we got through this alive….Hermione, will you marry me?" A bright smile appeared across Hermione's face as everybody else seemed to be holding their breaths. Hermione quickly nodded, and a relieved expression took over his face.

"Yes, Fred….a million times, yes!" He had wrapped his arms around her and kissed her before taking the ring out of the box and sliding it carefully onto her finger. An amused glint appeared in his eyes as he turned toward the crowd and held up their hands.

"SHE SAID YES!" He exclaimed loudly, and Hermione chuckled happily as the crowd broke into applause. George had looked shocked at first, though he was the first one to bounce over to the two. He had tackled Fred from behind. He started cheering and messing up Fred's hair with his hand. Ginny and Molly had rushed over to congratulate them as well, and Hermione thanked them. She was still smiling when her eyes found Harry. He looked happy for her, though Ron looked stunned still.

Hermione kissed Fred's cheek and let go of his hand before she made her way out of the circle that had formed around them. She was breathless when she finally made it out. She was pleased to see that her two best friends had met her outside of the circle.

"Congratulations, Hermione," Harry said happily as he gave her a big hug. Hermione continued to smile as she hugged him back, and turned to Ron. Her face softened when their eyes met. He had been looking down uncomfortably at first, though he looked up after Harry had hugged her. It was Hermione's turn to hold her breath now. She hoped that he wouldn't be upset, she knew about his crush on her though she never returned his feelings.

He cleared his throat and gave her a small smile before saying congratulations to her. He even gave her a hug, though it was an awkward one compared to Harry's. He had surprised her this time. "Thanks," Hermione murmured, as she reached over for Harry. They bent their heads down and began hugging each other tightly. It had suddenly hit Hermione how their lives were going to change now. She realized what they had done for their world. The world was now free from Lord Voldemort.

"You guys are the best friends I've ever had," Hermione murmured in both of their ears. Harry let out a chuckle, though it also sounded like a dry sob.

"Same here…thanks. For everything. I couldn't have done it without you two." Harry said as the crowd of people started to move towards them. Ron nodded quietly, looking as though he might start crying if he spoke as well. Hermione gave him a reassuring smile, and gave one to Harry as well.

Fred was the first person who had bounded over to her with George right behind him, and the rest of the Weasley family stood around them as well. "How long have you two been going out?" Ginny shouted, bouncing up and down. Fred and Hermione looked at each other, wondering what to say to that, though Ginny had already moved on to the next question. "Can I be a bridesmaid?" Hermione chuckled and placed her hand in Fred's hand. "Yes, Ginny. You can be a bridesmaid." Ginny beamed and Fred grinned down at her before lowering his head to kiss her again. Hermione had a feeling that everything was going to be normal from that point on. She chuckled at the thought. Who was she trying to kid? Her life was never going to be normal now that she was marrying _Fred Weasley._

* * *

**Author's Note: Mischief Managed! Thanks for reading!**


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